Middles

Kyria

Kyria is a feminine name with Greek roots, derived from 'kyrios' meaning 'lord' or 'master.' The feminine form essentially translates to 'lady' or 'mistress.' It carries an air of dignity and…

Kyrie

Short form of Kyra or Greek

"Lord"

Kyrie elieson is one of the oldest religious refrains, meaning Lord, have mercy. As a first name, though, Kyrie is less a name of God and more a nickname-name that might be short for Kyra or a…

Lystra

Biblical place-name

Anatolian city visited by Paul in the Bible, though risks sounding a tad antiseptic.

Alya

Arabic

"heavens, highborn, exalted"

Alya is most familiar in the US in its much-more-complicated form Aaliyah, the spelling used by the later singer. The traditional name of the star system Theta Serpentis, Alya is also an established…

Aeron

Welsh

Tolkien may have been inspired by this unisex name of a Celtic goddess of war. Welsh poet Dylan Thomas named his daughter the variation Aeronwy. With goddess names so hot for baby girls, this…

Penna

Latin

"feather"

Occasionally heard in England, rarely here.

Cosette

French literary nickname

"little thing"

Cosette is best known as the heroine of Les Miserables . In the Victor Hugo novel, Cosette was the nickname given to the girl named Euphrasie by her mother. Although Hugo invented the name, some…

Theoni

Theoni is a feminine name of Greek origin, derived from the Greek word 'theos' meaning 'god' or 'divine.' It's the feminine form of Theon, and both forms have ancient roots in Greek history and…

Auralei

Auralei is a modern feminine name with a melodic, ethereal quality. Likely derived from combining elements like 'aura' (a distinctive atmosphere or energy) and the popular '-lei' suffix found in…